The Japanese crown prince Naruhito came to the throne. Later in a solemn ceremony in the Imperial Palace will be the transfer of the attributes of the ruling monarch to the prince - "the three sacred treasures": a bronze mirror, jasper and sword pendants. According to the canons of the traditional Japanese Shinto religion, these objects symbolize wisdom, prosperity and courage. They are the sacred gift of the Land of the Rising Sun from the goddess Amaterasu, whose direct descendants are the emperors of Japan.
From the moment the “three sacred treasures” are received, Naruhito will become a monarch. After accession to the throne, he must appeal to the people and hold the first audience as the nominal leader of the country. Narukhito will receive the heads of three branches of government - executive, legislative and judicial: the prime minister, the speaker of parliament and the chairman of the Supreme Court.
On the eve, his father, Akihito, who had ruled Japan since 1989, officially resigned for his old age and health reasons. Together with his 84-year-old wife Michiko, he became a private person. Now his title sounds like daidze (emperor at rest).
For the first time in 200 years, the nominal ruler of Japan during his lifetime left the throne. Foreign leaders welcomed the accession of the new monarch to the throne and paid tribute to Akihito.
“Your Majesty, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your attention to Russian-Japanese relations, which have been notably developed during the years of your stay on the imperial throne,” reads the message of the Russian President Vladimir Putin’s message.
The long shift of emperors
The transfer of the "three sacred treasures" - the most important, but not the only ceremony associated with the change of imperial power. The first part of the ritual took place in August 2016, when Akihito announced his intention to retire.
Since then, he performed eleven rituals, including visiting the main Shinto shrine of Ise and the tomb of the first Japanese emperor, Jimmu. Akihito made ritual offerings to the gods and ancestors and symbolically asked them to let him leave the throne in his lifetime.
The government also takes part in the lengthy process of the emperor’s abdication and accession to the throne of his heir. According to the Japanese Constitution, the cabinet must choose Gango - the motto of the new monarch, he is the name of his era. For this purpose, a special commission was created, including, in particular, calligraphers and historians. Gengo has strict requirements: for example, the hieroglyphs with which it is written should be simple and easily remembered by the Japanese. The commission announced its choice on April 1.
“The name“ Rave ”is taken from“ The Collection of Myriad Leaves ”- a collection of traditional Japanese poetry. This is the first time that the motto of the Emperor of Japan has been found in native literature. Previously, it was searched in Chinese treatises and historical chronicles. Of course, there is no political motive in this choice. The name of the era does not reflect the agenda of the government of Shinzo Abe, nor the trends of the country's foreign policy. This is only a consequence of the choice of the commission, which decided to slightly change the tradition, ”said Alexander Panov, head of the diplomacy department at MGIMO, in an interview with RT.
“Some people still see a certain symbol in this choice of the motto, which indicates Japan’s desire to oppose China to itself,” Dmitry Streltsov, a leading researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies, did not agree with RT.
Experts point out that Gengo Naruhito - “The Blooming World” - is a symbolic continuation of his father's gengo. Akihito came to the throne on January 7, 1989 under the motto "Heisei" ("Peace"). Gengo was surprisingly accurate. Akihito became the first emperor in the modern history of Japan, in which the country did not conduct hostilities.
May 1 will now become a national holiday of the country. The era of Rave originates from it. It will last until the death or renunciation of Narukhito. Theoretically, it is also possible to change the name of an era under the rule of the emperor. However, this can happen only in an exceptional case - if the time of the rule of Narukhito turns out to be very unfortunate for the country, reports Nippon.com website.
Events associated with the change of monarchs, will end on October 22, the solemn ceremony of the construction of Naruhito on the Chrysanthemum throne of the emperors of Japan. Among her guests are expected not only Japanese officials, but also foreign heads of state. One of them will be US President Donald Trump. He will visit Japan at the end of May.
“I am very happy that I can welcome Trump and his spouse as the first official guests of the new era,” RIA Novosti quoted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
New monarch
Narukhito graduated from the country's most prestigious university - Gakushuin University, where children of the Japanese aristocracy study. He continued his education in the UK, in Oxford. Naruhito has a master's degree in history, is keen on mountaineering and alto play.
“The new emperor is neutral in his political views, engaged in science and social activities, like his father. His ascension to the throne will not mean any changes in the political landscape of Japan. The emperor always puts himself above society, above vanity. He is a moral authority and a symbol of the unity of the nation, ”noted Streltsov.
- Princess Aiko with her parents
- Reuters
- © Issei Kato
The wife of the new monarch is Masako, her father is the judge of the International Court of Justice, Hisashi Owada. Before marriage, she worked at the Japanese Foreign Ministry, and met the prince while studying at Tokyo University. According to Japanese media, when Narukhito proposed to her for the first time, she refused. But then she changed her mind. Masako is fluent in five languages, including Russian.
The rule of Narukhito will be unusual in some respects. He is the first Japanese monarch in two centuries who came to the throne during the life of his father. In addition, in the era of "Rave", there may be a change in the order of succession, which has remained unchanged for centuries. Naruhito has only one child, 17-year-old Princess Aiko. According to the law of succession from 1947, the Chrysanthemum throne can only be occupied by a man. Change the law or not, the Japanese authorities have not yet decided.
People will not mind if the imperial throne is taken by a woman, experts say.
“Modern Japanese have a great tolerance for changing the unwritten rules, albeit very old ones. Therefore, they calmly perceived the emperor’s abdication and the marriage of members of the imperial family to commoners. Also, a change in the order of succession in favor of Hayko will not cause protests, ”Streltsov is sure.
If the law is still not changed, the next emperor will most likely be Naruhito's nephew, the son of his younger brother Akishino, Prince Hisahito, who is now 12 years old. However, as it turned out, the young heir to the throne has detractors. On April 27, an unknown person entered the school where Hisahito was studying, under the guise of a construction worker. He left two knives on the prince's desk. In Japan, it is perceived as a symbol of hatred or a threat to life. Police detained the attacker, RIA Novosti reports.
The Japanese press tried not to pay special attention to the incident with the possible heir to the throne, so as not to overshadow the change of monarchs. Media characters were two emperors.
“I am happy that for 30 years since my accession to the throne, I enjoyed the trust and respect of the people. I pray that the new era of Rave’s reign, which begins tomorrow, will be peaceful and fruitful. I pray for the happiness of our country and people all over the world, ”Tass reports the words to Akihito, which he said in his speech on the occasion of renunciation.